For his efforts in fighting world hunger and improving conditions for achieving peace

The World Food Program wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Andersen, after the award of the award to the World Food Program.

■ EPA

Yesterday, the United Nations World Food Program won the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger in the world and improve conditions for peace in areas affected by conflict.

The Rome-based organization says it helps about 97 million people in about 88 countries annually, and that one in nine in the world still does not have enough food.

"The need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is clearer (now) than ever before," said the chairperson of the Nobel Committee, Norwegian Beret Rice Andersen, at a press conference at the Nobel Institute in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

She said that the World Food Program is a driving force in efforts to prevent hunger from being used as a weapon in wars and conflicts, and that the "Covid-19" epidemic has reinforced the importance of the role played by the program.

"This is an obligation - in our minds - for all countries of the world, to ensure that people do not suffer from hunger," she added.

And she continued by saying that “the (Corona virus) pandemic and the challenges it raises definitely reinforce the reasons for the award,” referring to the need for food aid, which includes investment in agriculture, and assistance to isolated communities.

“The pandemic also shows that multi-faceted cooperation is absolutely necessary to meet global challenges,” she said.

It seems that pluralism lacks respect these days. ”

"I think starving a region’s population to enter it is one of the oldest weapons of conflict in the world," Perrett Andersen added.

She added, "The pandemic shows that we are facing a major crisis, and we are all in the same boat."

The Nobel Committee said about the reasons for awarding the award, "The Coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a strong jump in the number of hunger victims in the world."

She added, “Until the day we have a medical vaccine, food remains the best vaccine against chaos. There is an estimate in the World Food Program that there will be 265 million starving within a year, and naturally that would also be a call to the international community not to reduce the funding of a program. World Food ».

In Geneva, a spokesperson for the World Food Program said it was a "proud moment" for the program to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

"The nomination itself was enough, but continuing with it and then announcing the Nobel Peace Prize, what a great thing," spokesman Thompson Ferry said in a press conference.

The prize is worth 10 million Swedish kronor, or about $ 1.1 million, and will be awarded in Oslo on December 10.

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